Do Data Centers Belong in Alachua?

The City of Alachua is now considering a 12-month moratorium on data center applications, with a vote possible as early as the September 28 City Commission meeting.

This is an important opportunity for residents to speak up about what should happen during that pause.

The moratorium should give Alachua time to fully study the impacts of large data centers on our water, electricity, infrastructure, environment, neighborhoods, and quality of life. It should also include a public workshop so residents can hear the facts, ask questions, and understand what land-use protections are available.

Just as important, the City should remove or defer the proposed data center language from the current Comprehensive Plan revisions until that work is finished. It makes little sense to pause applications while simultaneously writing a pathway for data centers into the City’s long-term plan.

If you share these concerns, send a message to the City Commission before September 28. Ask them to adopt the moratorium, pause the Comp Plan language, and give the community a transparent public process before deciding what - if any - data center development belongs in Alachua.

Please attend the Commission meeting on September 28 at 6 PM at Alachua City Hall, 15100 NW 142 Terrace, Alachua, FL 32615

Send an email using this advocacy form and please share widely.

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Adopt the Data Center Moratorium - Pause the Comp Plan Language

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Dear Mayor Welch and Commissioners, Please adopt a strong moratorium on data center applications and remove or defer the proposed data center language from the current Comprehensive Plan revisions. The purpose of the moratorium should be to stop new proposals from moving forward while the City fully studies the impacts and decides what protections are actually needed. If the City agrees that more study is necessary, then it should not be writing data centers into Alachua’s long-term planning policy at the same time. I understand the amendments first go through the Planning & Zoning Board, but P&Z is advisory. The City Commission ultimately decides what language is transmitted and adopted. You have the authority to keep this language from moving forward prematurely. The moratorium should also require a public workshop before any replacement language is drafted. Residents deserve a transparent process that examines water and energy demand, infrastructure costs, noise, environmental impacts, emergency services, scale, and compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods. That workshop should also explain what land-use controls and development standards are available, and whether those tools are strong enough to prevent these facilities from becoming a detriment to residents and the community. Commissioner Fletcher was right to question why this language should advance while the City is simultaneously acknowledging the need for a moratorium. Adopt the moratorium. Pause the policy language. Study the impacts. Involve the public. Then decide what, if any, Comprehensive Plan changes are appropriate. Respectfully,

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